Two Complaints Against Lubbock City Councilman Victor Hernandez Dismissed at Special Council Meeting

Thursday afternoon, the Lubbock City Council held a special meeting to discuss complaints lodged against District 1 Councilman Victor Hernandez and the performance of City Manager Lee Ann Dumbauld.

Thursday's meeting came ten days after Mayor Glen Robertson called for the special meeting. After three hours in executive session, the council returned to the council chambers and voted to dismiss two complaints against Hernandez. One was dismissed for lack of merit and the other because the city employee who had made the complaint recanted her story.

After the meeting, Mayor Robertson described the Council’s deliberations to KFYO News, "We had a very lively discussion in executive session as we should. Discussed all the allegations made against Mr. Hernandez. As well as some of the options we have. We discussed the option of hiring outside counsel and the council decided against doing that."

Regarding the dismissal of the two complaints, Robertson himself wanted an investigation to go forward on the complaints, "(There was) lack of verification. I voted against (dismissing the two complaints) simply because I felt that to be fair to Mr. Hernandez, and to the city employee, we needed to investigate it. Plus, I felt like that through an investigation it could possibly clear Mr. Hernandez's name."

Before the council went into executive session, Mayor Robertson proposed hiring Lubbock attorney Ann Manning, a labor specialist, to conduct an external investigation into the complaints.

The Council did approve an internal investigation into other complaints recently made by Dumbauld against Councilman Hernandez's conduct and claims that were made against Dumbauld by city employees.

No word on the timetable for the completion of the internal investigation.